| Povlja’s parish church is built next to the extensive ruins of a large basilica from the 5th to 6th centuries. The basilica’s portal and apse with a three-light window are some of the best-preserved remains from that period. The basilica’s size suggests that this was an important religious centre not only for Povlja and the island but possibly for the mainland too. It possessed an imposing and rare octagonal font covered with a cupola, which along with the baptistry at the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč is the only preserved example of a 6th century covered baptistry on the Eastern Adriatic. The baptistry was incorporated into the parish church of St John the Baptist, and is venerated as the resting place of a saint, St John of Povlja. In the churchyard, the remains of a Benedictine monastery can be seen, together with a defensive tower which was added to protect the complex from pirate attacks: the monastery was destroyed in 1145 by the fearsome pirates from Omiš. |